Leeds Holistic Health Wins Wellness Business of the Year

We’re delighted to announce Leeds Holistic Health as the winner of Wellness Business of the Year at the My Local Awards 2026 Yorkshire.

This award celebrates businesses that make a genuine difference to people’s wellbeing, and Leeds Holistic Health is a truly deserving winner. As an award-winning reflexologist, holistic therapist and mind-body coach, the business supports women in reducing stress, overcoming anxiety and finding relief from persistent or stress-related pain by helping restore balance to both physical and emotional wellbeing.

What makes this win especially meaningful is the story behind it. Leeds Holistic Health was born from lived experience, deep personal transformation and a real desire to help others find hope when they feel stuck. That sense of purpose runs through everything the business does, and it is clearly why so many clients have placed their trust in it.

A business inspired by personal healing

Leeds Holistic Health was founded in 2017, but the inspiration behind it began much earlier. After living with more than two decades of chronic back pain, the founder was told following an MRI that surgery would likely be needed for a herniated disc. It was a frightening and lonely experience, but one that eventually led to something life-changing.

Through discovering mind-body healing, particularly the work of Dr John Sarno, a full recovery became possible. That experience transformed not only physical health, but the direction of life itself. It sparked a journey into retraining in reflexology, mind-body healing and coaching, with the aim of helping others who may be facing the same fear, confusion and frustration.

That origin story gives Leeds Holistic Health a powerful sense of authenticity. This is not work built only on theory. It is grounded in personal understanding of what it feels like to struggle with pain, anxiety and unanswered questions, and that makes the support offered all the more meaningful.

What makes Leeds Holistic Health different

One of the biggest things that sets Leeds Holistic Health apart is the way it combines hands-on therapies such as reflexology with mind-body coaching. That integrated approach allows clients to experience both immediate relaxation and longer-term support in understanding the deeper emotional and mental patterns that may be contributing to chronic pain, stress or anxiety.

This matters because so many people arrive after trying numerous treatments or seeing multiple specialists without finding lasting relief. Leeds Holistic Health offers something that feels broader and more joined up. It is not simply about easing symptoms in the moment. It is about helping people understand the mind-body connection and giving them practical tools to support real, lasting change.

Another distinctive part of the business is its faith-sensitive coaching for Muslim women, developed in response to demand from the local community. By offering support that respects and includes spiritual values, Leeds Holistic Health has created a more inclusive and personalised wellbeing space for those who want that aspect reflected in their healing journey.

Helping clients regain hope and confidence

Some of the most meaningful milestones for Leeds Holistic Health have come through the transformations seen in clients who had begun to lose hope. Many have lived with chronic pain, anxiety or long-term stress symptoms for years, often feeling frightened, isolated or unsure where to turn next.

Through learning about the relationship between stress, emotions and physical symptoms, and working through both reflexology and coaching, many clients have been able to reduce symptoms, rebuild confidence and return to fuller, more active lives. Those kinds of changes are powerful because they affect not just health, but identity, relationships and quality of life.

One story in particular stands out. A young mother came to Leeds Holistic Health experiencing severe fatigue, head pain and anxiety after multiple medical appointments had failed to provide answers. At the time she was largely bed bound, caring for a very young baby and deeply afraid that she might never be able to look after her child in the way she hoped to. Through a combination of hands-on reflexology and mind-body coaching, she gradually regained strength and confidence. Seeing her return to everyday life and embrace motherhood again was incredibly moving and a powerful reminder of why this work matters so much.

Growing through challenge and learning

Like many small businesses, Leeds Holistic Health faced a major challenge during the Covid-19 pandemic, when face-to-face treatments had to stop. For a wellness business built on personal care and hands-on support, that could have been a devastating setback.

Instead, it became a period of further training, professional development and expansion. More of the work moved online, allowing continued support for people experiencing stress, anxiety and wellbeing struggles even when in-person treatment was not possible. That shift ultimately strengthened the business by opening up new ways to help clients, both face to face and digitally.

One particularly proud moment along the way was qualifying as a life coach, which deepened the work beyond physical therapies and strengthened the ability to help clients understand the role thoughts and emotions can play in their wellbeing. It also created the opportunity to offer the faith-sensitive coaching that has become an important part of the business today.

Supporting the local community

Leeds Holistic Health plays an important role in the local community by offering a calm, supportive space where people can step away from the pressures of everyday life and focus on themselves for a while. Many clients arrive feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or anxious, and the work done here helps them understand their health more clearly and develop practical ways to manage stress.

That support has a wider ripple effect too. When someone feels calmer, healthier and more balanced, it naturally impacts their family, relationships and wider community in a positive way. That is part of what makes wellbeing businesses so valuable. Their impact often spreads much further than the treatment room itself.

Being part of the local area matters deeply here too. Helping people in the same community where the business is based makes the work even more meaningful. It creates a strong sense of connection and purpose, especially when clients have spent so long searching for answers elsewhere before finally finding support that helps them move forward.

What this award means

When Leeds Holistic Health found out it had won Wellness Business of the Year, the reaction was one of genuine gratitude and pride. Building a small wellbeing business takes huge dedication, consistency and care, so this recognition clearly means a great deal.

For Leeds Holistic Health, the award is meaningful not just as a personal achievement, but because it helps raise awareness of the powerful relationship between stress, the mind and physical health. That message matters, especially for people currently struggling with chronic pain, anxiety or unexplained symptoms who may feel frightened or alone. This recognition sends a hopeful message that support is available and recovery is possible.

It also reflects the strong level of trust and connection built with clients over the years. Many people arrive at a very vulnerable point in life, and the fact that they have felt safe, supported and understood is what makes this win especially significant.

Looking ahead, Leeds Holistic Health plans to continue growing, developing new programmes that combine reflexology with coaching for issues such as insomnia, anxiety and resilience. There are also plans to expand group coaching and create digital resources so more people can access mind-body wellbeing tools in a flexible and accessible way.

Congratulations to Leeds Holistic Health

At My Local Awards 2026 Yorkshire, we are proud to celebrate businesses that make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives. Leeds Holistic Health is a wonderful example of that.

From a deeply personal recovery story to a growing business that is helping women feel calmer, stronger and more hopeful, this is wellbeing work with genuine heart behind it. Its win reflects compassion, skill, trust and a commitment to helping others understand and improve their health in a meaningful way.

Congratulations to Leeds Holistic Health, a highly deserving winner of Wellness Business of the Year 2026.

And finally, a message from the business: “I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported my work and trusted me to be part of their wellbeing journey. It is a real privilege to help people regain their confidence, health and quality of life.”